Hearts Blossom in Silver
by Nyannygiri
Summary: Awkward and a little shy, Jillian moves to Sugar Blossom Village along with her pooch Apollo to start a new life. Relationships never came easy to Jillian but already someone has captivated her; the silver haired man clad in red. What is the secret behind those sad eyes?


**Jillian's P.O.V.**

"Well, looks like this is the place, huh, Apollo?" I mumbled, staring down at the slip of paper in my right hand as my border terrier companion panted happily beside me. At least one of us had their mind at rest, I suppose. We'd just arrived at the hill atop which my escort was supposedly coming to meet me, or so the letter I'd received weeks before had said. I glanced down at the signature, fine calligraphy swirling into the name 'Barley'. The paper itself was a brownish off-white, wrinkled slightly at the edges. I could only imagine that I was about to find my new home way out in the sticks, but at that point, the idea of such a fate was hardly a bad thing. Apollo began to quietly whine beside me and when I looked up, I caught sight of two figures approaching in the distance; a man and a horse. _About time,_ I quietly thought, narrowing my eyes to get a good look at the pair through the pink-purple dusk of the evening sky. As they approached the man's long red coat flared slightly in the spring breeze, his silver hair and beard catching the edge of the moon's light, subtly glistening. His horse was a well built brown stallion with beady yet steadfast eyes. I inhaled deeply yet silently and steeled myself; human interaction had never been a forté of mine, evidenced solely by the fact that Apollo had been my best and only friend for the last five years of my life. "Good evening Miss," called a slightly deeper voice than I'd expected, a pair of soft scarlet eyes appraising me. "you're Jillian, if I'm not mistaken?"

"That's right." I responded, flicking my mousey brown fringe out of my eyes. "You are?"

"Paxel, at your service." The edges of his lips curled upward slightly as he spoke. His voice was smooth and yet possessed a rugged edge, the very air trembling beneath the virtuoso of his silky tones. "Sugar Blossom's just a little ways down the mountain. Shall we?"

I averted my eyes from his coolly unyielding gaze and stepped forward, Apollo following close behind me. We began to descend the mountain, and through the dark of the night was a faint glow; a small town filled with lush greenery and surrounded by the great azure ocean. "Wow," I sighed involuntarily.

"Fantastic view, isn't it?" Paxel's liquid gold voice flowed into my ears as I took the scene in. "That's Sugar Blossom. Your new home."

"Yeah. It looks incredible."

"Heh. This really is the scenic route. Gazing upon it and knowing that the warm smiles and peaceful evenings are waiting for you just down the mountain…" my escort mused, a glint of sorrow in his eye, "nothing's better than that. The seasons take their course but Sugar Blossom remains the same as ever."

Before long, we'd reached the bottom of the mountain. After walking over a small wooden bridge atop a little clearwater stream, Paxel stopped and turned to me, a warm smile on his face. "Well? Not too extravagant, huh?" he chuckled. "You'd be hard-pressed to find somewhere better to rest your bones, though." He looked to the north. I followed his gaze and before my eyes was a large farmhouse beside a sturdy looking barn, surrounded by trees. The wood looked rugged and the barn's red paint was chipped, weeds winding up the walls. It was perfectly rural - exactly what I was seeking when I left my urban life behind. In front of the oak door of my new house stood an elderly man, ever so slightly hunched over with a head of thinning white hair and a brittle white beard. "Looks like you have your first visitor," Paxel's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he smiled brightly. "Well? Why don't you go say hello?"

"Y-yeah." I gulped. As ill practiced as I was with social interaction, I still wanted to make a good first impression; after all, this was my new home, and these were my new neighbours. I could only imagine that the village was abuzz with speculation as to what the new girl moving into the old farm would be like, and as futile as it seemed, I wanted to at least try to minimise their disappointment. I walked towards the old man and, upon seeing my approach, the man grinned. "Ah, hello! You must be Jillian. I'm so happy to see that you've arrived safely! Though I'd expect nothing less from someone escorted by Paxel," he nodded toward my escort, who paced forward to join the discussion.

"Barley, old friend, you are too kind." _Barley…? So, this is the mayor?_

"So, my dear, you must be excited to get to know your new neighbours?" the mayor raised his bushy white eyebrows.

"Umm… Yes, absolutely." _Well, 'excited' isn't the word I'd personally use…_

"Good to hear! They're all looking forward to meeting you. If you'd like, I could show you the way to-"

"Barley, old friend, as much as I'm sure Jillian would love to meet the townsfolk, her journey tonight has been a long one. I'd imagine some rest would do the lady some good." His soft eyes flickered toward me subtly, but with enough force to make my stomach jump. "Am I right?"

"Y-yes…" I tripped over my tongue a little. _Huh…_ But now that Barley and Paxel were next to each other I realised something. Both had hair as white as the moon itself, and in the mayor's case it was visibly a result of his age. Paxel, on the other hand… He was muscular with well defined albeit silken features and a youthful posture. Did his moonlit hair betray his age?

"Ah, I suppose you're quite right," the mayor chuckled as he began to walk away, leading Paxel's equestrian companion along with him. "Yes, take all the time that you need to be well rested, but don't be a stranger!" Moments later, his hunched figure was no longer visible.

"Eccentric as ever," Paxel chuckled, his silver ponytail being lifted by the breeze. "The folks in this valley, they're good people. You'll find your feet here in no time."

"I hope so." I sighed tiredly. Apollo yawned, staring up at the house curiously.

"Alright, I'll let the pair of you rest." he turned away with a warm smile. "Take care, Jillian. See you soon, I'm sure." Apollo and I watched in silence as his silhouette faded away down the path before I cautiously creaked open the front door. The interior was simple, yet charming - a small kitchen, a simple television set aside a rustic bookcase, and a single bed. _Bed…_ I'd barely glanced around before fixating on the soft looking white duvet, my muscles nagging me to lay down. After quickly shedding my clothes I peeled back the duvet and slithered into the bed, which was surprisingly comfortable, and Apollo curled up at my feet. I closed my eyes, and threads of moonlit silver filled my mind, their swirls lulling me into a sweet slumber. Our trip down the mountain may have been over, but our journey was just beginning.


End file.
